The end of the xFactor Method as we know it? I'm scared... Please help...

Not sure if its the difference in uk/us serps but I have been dealing with those product pictures long before 2010.

You are over analyzing this. Stop worrying about every new little block that gets added. Google changes constantly, if you are going to think that it is over after every little change then you are not going to make it

I have mini sites and large sites. I thought XFactors book was excellent with one exception (regarding the article marketing/resource box). And X made it very clear that copying his exact format was not a good idea. I used my own twist on X's plan and made a few hundred off one site alone (from an affiliate link I added not the adsense).

I love focusing on the large sites but what happens if Google de-indexes you? My one large site (not an X style site) recently dropped in PR ranking despite my using only white hat methods to build links and all original content.

I understand Google is now giving points for page load. So I am penalized because I add photos and content rich material over a static site?

It is hard to tell what will be best for the future...

No. Any business strategy that relies on just pumping out sites is doomed to fail long term in my opinion. Why? Because everyone and their next door neighbor will be pumping out sites such that Google will eventually do something to diminish the low quality web sites being pumped out.

I personally prefer to build in more value than just making my sites more of the same cookie cutter.

If you are going to be pumping out sites as a business strategy at least make them different enough to make them somewhat if not entirely unique. Just like you are doing. There is absolutely no excuse for using the same About Me page. That's just nuts. Better yet get rid of the About Me pages altogether. They aren't needed and quite frankly add to the spammy look of the sites in question as they are presently written.

I wasn't saying ban ALL About Me pages. That would be silly. I said that if I was Google I would ban all About Me pages that have the specific text that shows up on the thousands of XFactor like sites you linked to.

It's called finding a unique sentence that shows up on spammy looking sites and banning them in one fell swoop.

Incidentally some of Google's anti-spam fighting algorithms do just that. They study spammy looking sites and then change their algorithm to identify them based on a commonality between them.

NONE of the Adsense sites I have worked on have anything at all in common with each other. Every single one of them is absolutely unique. They use the same overall framework and template but there is no single text, image, or otherwise on them that can be used to connect them with each other.

Not even in the code. I use a custom made CMS system I created to spit them out for me. So the code itself doesn't leave a footprint unless one considers well written code and generic image names like "header.png" a footprint I guess LOL.

Carlos

I agree completely. Sure there are some that are making spammy and extremely thin MFA sites, but I make mine quality and as useful if not more useful for visitors than a huge product site because I offer other topics relating to the main product my site is built around.

Example: Smoothie Blender Machine

-smoothie recipes
-cleaning your smoothie maker
-best smoothie maker reviews
-etc.

Just a pretty basic example I came up with in 10 secs, but you get the gist. My sites are highly optimized and offer more value to a visitor than any mega site so my sites deserve and do outrank these mega sites with millions of backlinks. Following this simple strategy takes time, but it does make you a lot of passive money down the road.

I think the size of your site has little to do with things. Quality is the greatest measure.

You might need to target the buyers seeking information first or grab their attention with catchy headlines and descriptions. If that fails then you should be looking at how to become one of the images on the page. If you feel they are such a threat then the only way to eliminate that threat is to bump it off its position. It might even be a way to leap frog better pages and get more traffic for less work.

Does it cost money to get onto Google Products? How do they select the images? Do they allow AdSense on the product pages?

Tony, don't shoot me for being blunt, but have you actually DONE anything, or are you just theorizing?

1. It's obvious your "fear" has nothing to do with you actually DOING the Xfactor method, only with thinking too much.

2. Your "fear" is keeping you from making money while Xfactor and others of us who are actually DOING his system, or a form of it, are actually making money.

3. Your paralysis of analysis is doing you no good.

4. I love Xfactor's method. It's not for everybody, because you have to keep building and building. But it works! It will likely always work, even if at a lower rate, but the residual return for the time put in is the best thing I've done online.

5. Just think if Xfactor had succumbed to the same fears you have. He'd be $300+ per day poorer.

Tony,

A com/net/org domain costs ~$16/year (assuming private registration). I think it would be hard not to cover that cost in an entire year from one site. The XFactor method (which is nothing revolutionary) will still yield profit - maybe it will be slightly less now, but still profitable. Just keep on building and you will make more and more money. Don't make things more complex than they need to be.

I couldn't care less if Google now has thumbnails with their serps now because there is NOTHING you can do about it so why worry or be scared for goodness sakes!

I can understand the OP's fear of Googles changes. But that's exactly what it is - fear of change. Just because this method works for xFactor it doesn't mean it becomes a universal law. Ride the wave while it's strong and then catch another wave.

This method is nothing new. The whole 30 Day Challenge is based on this method. xFactor made his own twist by just focusing on products.

Similarly you need to have your own twist. At the end of the day, if Google is going to give us traffic, ads and finally the cheques, it doesn't do any good to complain about it. Google is probably the most dynamic company out there responding to market needs, and we have to either beat'em or join'em.

That search on Google to find how many xFactor cookie cutter sites are, it's just amazing. But for the ones who are worried about leaving a footprint for Google, Google doesn't have to rely on your 'About Me' or 'header.png' to track your sites. You have something called 'adsense publisher ID' which they can use to kick your whole network out in a second.

My point is, Google is changing and will continue to change their stuff. Find a way to work around it, over it, under it or through it until you get results.

build more anchored backlinks!

I love these type of conversations as they really make you look at things from a different perspective and force you to think about what you are doing.

Although at first it seems you are asking a simple question on the mechanics of the serps/ctr. What has developed though is a question on the future of google in general.

A few of my thoughts.
YES it will affect traffic to product related sites
building sites on services will succumb to google maps and local search
Worry about what big G is doing or just get on and take what you can NOW and then get ready for the next thing

There is still traffic in the lower positions. You can literally make a site and with no BL's at all rank position 5-10, still get traffic and money

There is NOTHING that is 100% future proof. The ONLY way to survive long term is to change and adapt. Someone mentioned to start learning adwords - recently thousands of long term adwords experts had their accounts closed for no reason by google. Nothing is safe.

Every form of business has its risks and needs massive concentration to safeguard it be it IM, dropshipping, high street stores EVERYTHING. There are mininmal long term passive income methods - just accept that you will work for a long time yet - just learn to enjoy it

I think one more point to add is that many people will purposely ignore these picture ads. I know I will.
When people are looking to find info, reviews, descriptions about a product, I would think they are less likely to click on just a picture with a price under it.
And even if they do click on one, it's not to say they won't just hit "Back" and continue browsing.

I don't think this is a reason to panic. It might have a bit of an effect, but I wouldn't expect a huge difference.

So the OP asked how is Google images affecting people, and we have people like veotis too busy trying to prove he doesn't have a small penis.

What is this a highschool locker forum? Yeah ok we all know what "adapt" means but that's not what the OP asked is it, not to mention if everyone needs to "adapt" then it automatically implies the old method isn't effective.

Of course google's images is going to reduce traffic.

I mean come on, those who says otherwise is just in denial, the same guy who said your meta description is important, some how thinks everything will be fine if there is a big slab of images right next to your site result. A picture worths a thousand words so a bunch of image is like 200 times better than your meta description.

To answer the OP's question:

Yes the new images is going to kick your ass on traffic IF your site was on a search result page with no images before. The same way Google maps took out a lot of "lawyers in x" traffic, search lawyers in x (where x is a location), and you get a big slab of google map right in your face, this wasn't the case before Google map.

Your only defense against it, other than changing your game completely, is learn how tabloid magazines do their headlines titles, they are the experts on capturing attention with limited text space. Use catchy titles, mix a little CAPS with non caps, etc. But really it is just bandaid when you are fighting against a bunch of images that only they have and you don't.

So when you are looking for your next keyword, don't bother with it unless you know you can make your site rank above the Google images, or the CPC is high enough even sitting below the images is worth your time.

Some of you who gives useless answers need to stop being emotional and defensive and start looking at a problem exactly the way it is, the visitors on google don't care about your ego.

The human brain interprets images a lot faster than text, and you are dealing with a specie that have an average attention span of a dead fly and can't store more than 7 items in their temporary memory. If there are images getting in the way of their search-look-click mechanism then it is going to affect the traffic.

This is just a game of numbers. The size of your body parts has nothing to do with it.

huhu..my adsense is related to products as well so i think this is good news